Your antenatal booking visit normally takes between 8 and 12 weeks of pregnancy.

You’ll be seen by a midwife who will explain the different options available for your antenatal care. The visit may take about an hour and may also be your first medical examination.

First checks

As well as taking a full history of your health, the midwife may:

• Check your height, weight and blood pressure so that any later changes can be compared.
• Take a urine sample.
• Take a blood sample to check your blood group and Rhesus factor and run various tests.
• Test your blood to see if you’re suffering from anaemia (low levels of iron in your blood, which can make you feel tired). 
• Check your baby’s heartbeat by using a portable hand-held monitor.

You’ll be given a date for your next visit. If everything is normal and it’s your first baby, you’ll probably have ten visits. If you have other children, you may only have seven visits.

Write things down

There is often little time in antenatal visits to ask questions, and it’s hard to take in complicated information straight away, especially if English is not your first language.

If you keep forgetting what you wanted to ask, write it down and take a list of questions in with you. If things don’t make sense, ask for an extra appointment with your midwife or GP so that things can be explained to you in a way you do understand.

It also helps staff to look after you better if you’re honest with them, too. Being up front about saying there are things that are worrying you may mean staff put aside some time to help sort out those worries.

Antenatal who's who

There are several different patterns to antenatal care, and they can vary in different parts of the country. The care you are offered may also depend on your own individual needs.

The GP

Your GP (general practitioner) is your family doctor, and may share your care in pregnancy with a community or hospital midwife. You would only go to the hospital for scans, tests and the birth.

The midwife

Midwives are trained to provide care during pregnancy, labour and after the birth. A team of midwives may look after you either in hospital or in the local community and will refer you to your GP or a hospital doctor if a problem arises. One of them will be your ‘named’ midwife who is responsible for your care, and one of the team should be with you at the birth.

The obstetrician

An obstetrician is a doctor who specialises in pregnancy and birth; usually based in hospitals. Obstetricians get involved in pregnancies or labours which need special care.